


More than a House, it's a Home

by impressmyism



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Post 5B, Underworld
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-07
Updated: 2015-12-07
Packaged: 2018-05-05 12:54:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5375975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/impressmyism/pseuds/impressmyism
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post 5B/Underworld; Emma makes the decision to put up the house of her future up for sale.</p>
            </blockquote>





	More than a House, it's a Home

It had only been a few hours since Emma and the rest of them came back from The Underworld, with Killian in tow. He wasn't awake for the trip back, slipping in and out of consciousness, it worried and scared Emma once again. It was as if seeing him slip away from her those previous time, imaginary or not. Emma couldn't handle it anymore.

She silently let out some tears, not even noticing that her mother slipped her hand inside hers, holding onto her.

Charming and Robin opted to carry Killian until they reached the hospital to keep an eye on him. Gold disappeared as soon they came back and quite frankly, Emma really didn't give a damn about him. He was a liar, nothing but a liar, a weak link, how he could become the Dark One again and lie to Belle, she knew bad things were going to come back his way and she wasn't going to save him again, not anymore.

Once Killian had been settled into his own room in the hospital, Emma took a seat in an available chair next to him. "Emma, I don't want you to be alone tonight," she heard her mother speaking with the softest voice. "Come to the loft when you can." Snow reached over to kiss Emma's forehead, her hands caressed Emma's cheeks before her father repeated the same. They too needed to get home to Baby Neal.

Henry offered to stay with her but somehow Emma talked him into staying with Regina and Robin but before he left, Henry wrapped his arms around his mother and hugged her tight. Emma responded, smiling softly. Emma was still getting used to this sudden affection from everyone again, still, it stunned her.

"Good night, Emma," Regina responded, Robin nodded at her and before it struck midnight in Storybrooke, Emma was alone again with Killian, by choice. The beeping of machines, an IV stuck in his arm, she winced at the memory of being by his bedside in a hospital previously.  
_  
Shit._

_It always went back to Gold and their rivalry._

_And somehow Hook was always left with the damages._

Her eyes glazed over as she looked at Killian. He looked so helpless, so pale, dead. He made a groan that jumped Emma out of her seat. "Killian?" She reached up to touch his face. "Killian, can you hear me?" She whispered to him, but got no response back. More tears fell down her face, she sniffled, using her jacket to wipe away what she could. "I'll be right here for you, nothing's going to separate us again." Emma whispered into his ear and kissed his cheek; it felt a little warm.

He was slowly regaining color. There wasn't anything else she could do. She felt defeated.

She was _defeated_.

So many things happening at once, she never got the time to digest everything.

Emma looked around the small room to find something to write on, a piece of paper, notepad, something, and came up lucky with a small post it pad and a pen. She scribbled down something on it and stuck it, of all places, on his Hook. The paper was hot neon pink, he couldn't miss it when he would wake up.

When, not if. She knew he'd come back to her.

But right now, she had somewhere else to go.

* * *

 

It taunted her. The windows glared back at her and Emma felt a weight added onto her shoulders, her heart, her spirit. This perfect house with its perfect fence, perfect view, perfect everything, was anything but to her.

Emma stood in front of the white house, feeling sick to her stomach. It was almost two in the morning, she walked around the town, passing the Jolly Roger, to come to this hellish place. It represented so much to her in Camelot, even as the Dark One, she wished that things had gone another route.

The loneliness was what got to her. Eating alone, sleeping alone, she did all that herself. She pushed herself away from everyone.

This house turned out to be a mockery of everything she wanted. She wasn't sure she still wanted that... if Killian still wanted that. There was so much still to talk about, to do, to see. Emma was too tired and afraid to set foot into the house. Instead, her feet trekked back onto the never ending road where she ended up at Granny's and by a miracle, she was still awake and offered a room to blonde who still needed some time alone.

Not to worry her parents, she sent a quick text to both Henry and her father, informing them so late in the evening that she was sleeping elsewhere and that she will see them sometime the next day.

Her head hit the pillow in the small inn room, resembling the room that she had when she had first arrived. Looking up and over to the left was a framed picture of a ship and Emma felt her eyes watering again. She rolled over to face the window, closing her eyes, hoping to get some kind of rest.

* * *

 

The "For Sale" sign out front is what grabbed Henry's attention.

"Mom?" Henry ran through the fence and up the stairs of the patio, seeing that the front door was unlocked. "Mom? You in here?" He shouted, hoping for a response.

"Henry?" It sounded like it was coming from upstairs. His feet carried him up the stairs, realizing that this was the first time he had gone beyond the first floor in this house that he helped pick out with Killian. There was some music playing in the distance when he reached the top of the floor and found his mother in what appeared to be a main bedroom, wearing black jeans, a black sweater with turtleneck, black boots, her hair in a long braid, putting items into a box. "Henry? What are you doing here?" She slowed down her movements, getting another welcoming hug from her son.

"I got your text. Did you sleep here last night? What about the sign out there? You're really gonna sell the house?" Too many questions at once and Emma stopped him and moved some items off the bed to let him sit down.

"No, I didn't sleep here last night. I slept at Granny's for the night. It was too late, I didn't want to disturb my parents or the baby either. I did stop here before I left to Granny's and well, I don't think this house is the best for me or any of us right now. Nothing good ever happened here. It's too big, it's cold, I had bad memories in here. This house belongs to someone who truly deserves it right now. What you and Killian had done in Camelot to make this happen, don't regret it." Emma gave her son a soft smile who seemed to understand but he still didn't like it.

"I get it, mom. Have you told Killian all this?" He wondered if he was awake yet, if she knew he was awake.

"I don't think he's awake from the trip just yet. I thought about finding some place a little more modest, smaller, work up to the bigger house, you know?" Emma continued to put picture frames in the box. No one knew that she had photos of her family in her bedroom from Henry, her parents, the baby, her and Killian, those photos is what kept her warm through those lonely nights.

"Can I help looking for that one?" Henry was intrigued.

"You've done a good job in the real estate market, I trust you." Emma kissed Henry's cheek. "So what else are you doing for the day?"

"I thought I might go visit Killian with you. I know you're going again." Sometimes, Henry was really too smart for his own good.

"After this, I am. And maybe after, we'll grab something to eat, my treat." Emma was so thankful for her son again. He didn't realize how much of a rock he really was to her.

"Great! And then I can tell you about mom sending Zelena back to Oz." Henry said in passing, knowing that he would grab her attention with that. Emma immediately stopped packing to look at Henry and his facial expression."

"What?!"

* * *

  
Days turned weeks as Killian's health improved and everything was eerily quiet on the forefronts of Storybrooke. There was no danger, no doom pending, it was quiet, too quiet for Emma to adjust to. Everyone seemed to readjust from being back from the Underworld quicker than she did but every day, the days had gotten better.

Less nightmares, she swore she still heard voices and the whispers. There was the occasional hiccup of dark magic that would seep from her pores when she wanted to do the simplest things like reheating her hot chocolate.

Killian had woken up for a moment, his eyes opening and moving over to spy a familiar blonde in his direction, saying "Swan" with a smile before passing out again.

That's what was keeping her going now. Now, she was sitting on the docks, watching the waters shift and come in. The Jolly Roger was still there docked, waiting for life to come onto her but Emma felt weird even coming close to it. It felt wrong, Killian needed to be on there first before anyone else could step foot.

"Mom!" Henry was approaching her, holding a newspaper in one hand and what looked like a blindfold in the other. "I found the perfect place, I want to show to you first so put this on!" He seemed very excited and Emma put the blindfold on over her eyes, straightened her beanie and put her hand out to Henry who took it and slowly made her walk.

Henry was having hit or misses with this whole trying to find a new home mission. Some places were right up Emma's alley but were too far, too crowded with neighbors, or missing that certain something that Emma couldn't describe all too well to Henry but she felt it in her gut. Others were complete misses but it didn't hurt to check them out.  
"We're almost there, I think you're really gonna like this one." Henry was a little too upbeat. If it wasn't right, Emma didn't want to crush his spirit with it.

"We don't need to drive or anything?"

"Nope!" That was all Henry said.

Emma sighed but with Henry's help and guidance, went up and over sidewalks, avoiding curbs and fire hydrants, cars and even steps. "Are we there yet?"

"Yes but wait for one second right here." Emma was left standing alone, hands on her hips. She heard approaching footsteps that were heavier than her son's and smelled a familiar scent. Before she could speak, she felt those lips on hers. "Killi-" she was cut off again by another breath taking kiss.

"Hello love," was all he said and she felt all of her bottled up emotions come pouring out and immediately wrapped her arms around his neck. He stumbled back a little but stood strong, holding onto his Swan. Emma reached up to undo the blindfold and wanted to see that he was real. He felt real, smelt real, there was a hint of antibacterial from the hospital still lingering. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you," Emma cried. "Wait, how did you get out of..?"

"Pirate." Killian held on tight to her. "Henry's been talking to me while I was... unconscious, I heard everything he said. I heard what you've said to me. They gave me a clean bill of health today, just keep things easier while I still heal." He paused, resting his forehead to hers. "I needed to see you and your boy came up with this little surprise."

"I am surprised!" Emma grinned happily.

"I love you, Emma Swan." Killian said first this time around.

"And I love you, Killian Jones. And I love you, too, Henry!" Henry, who was on the side watching, smiled and moved to hug his mother from behind.

Emma was so wrapped up in her two favorite men that she realized where she was and felt the panic swell up. " _Oh God, not this place. Please, please, please, I can't go back in there_." Emma was pulling back away from Killian and if Henry wasn't there behind her, she was gonna run off.

"Mom, mom, it's okay. You're not gonna be alone, not this time. Not ever." Henry somehow found the strength to hold his mom.

"But why would you bring me here?" Emma pleaded.

"Because you said this house deserved someone who needed it now and that's you," Henry was putting up his case and with Killian's help, both of them forced Emma over the threshold of the large home, the "for sale" sign had somehow disappeared.

"Henry, I told you that I couldn't. I want to but..." Emma trailed off, looking down at the floor. Killian came up to her and took her by her hands.

"This house isn't easy for me either, love. But I'm here with you, I want to make this work this time. We can both go through this together." Killian whispered to her.

"Despite everything? You still want this?"

Killian didn't say anything but kissed her and she felt everything he was feeling at that moment. "I still want this future with you. I still want you."

"I want you too. Will you marry me?" Henry's ears perked up at Emma's proposal, stunned as much as Killian was stunned.

"Isn't it my job to ask that?" Killian was still stunned and slightly turned on by this turn of events.

"Well," Emma paused. "You know me, I like beating you to the punch." She smirked at him. "So will you marry me, Killian Jones?"

"Well bloody hell, love. You know that I will even though you just have to be so-" Emma cut him off by kissing his lips, almost forgetting that Henry was still in the room with them. Henry eventually cleared his throat, breaking their embrace and kiss session.

"Oh, Henry, forgot you were there still." Emma fixed her clothes and whatnot while Killian did the same with his spare hand. "Are you okay with all of this? With everything?"

"He makes you happy, mom. Just like how Robin makes Regina happy. No one can replace dad but it's cool to have Robin Hood and Captain Hook as potential stepdads. At least now one of them came true." Henry moved over to hug Killian who was thrown off guard by that sudden kind of affection and hugged him back.

"I'll take good care of her, lad." Killian promised and Henry knew that he was going to keep the promise.

"Welcome to the family. Our very complicated family." Henry squeezed him and felt his mother run her hand over his hair. "So when do we get to tell everyone this?"

Both Emma and Killian looked at each other with a sense of being unsure. "When it's the right time but right now, let's look around and see what we can change to make this more of our home." Emma squeezed both Killian and Henry's hands before watching Henry move up the stairs to basically set claim to a bedroom for him.

"So while I was busy being a bit of an arse as the Dark One, what did I miss?" Killian was making small talk.

"You did miss Regina sending Zelena back to Oz with a green tornado." Emma replied, grinning.

"What!"

* * *

  
**_The End_**.

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written a CS fic in quite some time, since ep 4x21/4x22 which was Operation Mongoose. I couldn't get much sleep after last night's MSF and the plot bunnies were definitely hanging around until this morning when I decided to write this fic. I believe that Emma would definitely have a hard time with the house that has nothing but bad memories and would want to do something about it and I wanted both her and Hook to have SOME kind of happier ending cos they do deserve it so this is what I wrote out and I'm glad to get it out.


End file.
